Deep End
by DuckiePray
Summary: Eleven months after Dominion, one chapter has closed, and the turtles are eager to embark on the next. Yet echoes of the past aren't so quick to dissipate, and leave questions for their future and wellbeing.


*** Hello out there. If you're not familiar with my series, this will confuse the heck out of you. Sorry. If you _are_ familiar with my long-running volumes, this simple oneshot is _very_ important. You'll be way behind the curve if you try reading Beast or Cornerstone without brushing up on this little fic.**

**I've been bitten by one of the strongest fictional bugs that's ever taken over me. There are still a couple small projects to work on with my prequel series that I write under Meraki164. Everyday Legends will be coming out in another month probably. Despite these small projects, Beast and Cornerstone are what's looming in my mind. **

**I'm hungry for connections with readers and friends, but I have come to a conclusion: love me, hate me, tear me down, or ignore me, I have to write. My life is kind of dead without it. If you want to come along, feel free. Thanks for reading this far. I don't own the TMNT.**

* * *

The stifling humidity couldn't do anything to dampen Tim's spirit that evening. The seventeen-year-old was so happy to be out on a run with the rest of his family, he probably would have endured walking on hot coals.

As much as the young blue-masked turtle loved their "home away from homes" in North Carolina, the break had lasted longer than ever before. Montreal wasn't technically his first choice of cities to return to, but rejoining urban life was thrilling regardless.

The excitement radiated off the others, especially his teammates. Their joy seemed to supercharge his own energy. When he focused on Charlotte jogging next to him, laughter was quick to bubble up. The sheer freedom of the breeze allowed into the St. Charles collector through the open-air ceiling made it feel like they weren't underground.

In a flash, Tim was reminded of their first trip down there about a year before. The circumstances had been entirely different, and looking back, he'd felt a lot more innocent. The sudden increase in pulse rate and flutter of his heartbeat, however, weren't part of that memory. They didn't belong to him at all.

Tim sent Charlotte another side-glance. Her expression was passive in the faint light cascading through the collector, but he wasn't limited by what she _chose_ to show.

"I'm fine," she said automatically.

"It's okay if you're not," he reminded softly. "Do you wanna go back?"

"No," the purple-masked female insisted. "You don't run away from a memory."

That time, the shudder was Tim's own. He hadn't pictured how coming back to Montreal would feel in every aspect. While he was grateful to be getting closer to a normal routine which included patrolling, he still had no desire to see Olympic Park again.

_If we're living here, we won't be able to avoid the scene of the crime forever. We have to work up to that neighborhood. Eventually._

Tim felt fingers lightly grasp his hand and made eye contact with Charlotte again. "One step at a time."

She nodded and forced another smile, like she somehow _knew_ Olivia was going to look back at that exact moment.

"Feel free to pass me," the red-masked turtle invited. "I don't wanna cramp your style or anything."

"You afraid to go first?" Charlotte playfully challenged.

"Shell, I don't care _where_ we run, as long as I see some action," Liv complained.

The fact that the red-masked turtle didn't rise to Charlotte's easy bait was proof of her own eagerness to be free.

"Except we're not working tonight," Jayden spoke up from behind Tim. "You always wanna knock someone's block off."

"And you don't, _Kaiju_?" (beast) Olivia snorted. "If something came up right in front of us, you'd be the first one to try and get there."

"I'd beat _you_ for sure," he retorted.

Tim cleared his throat. "I think we all know who would get there before anyone else." He squeezed Charlotte's hand one more time, before letting go.

"Are we showing off, or taking a tour?" Charlotte wondered.

"It's really hard for some people to be any other way," Nate called over his shoulder. "But we're _not _looking for trouble tonight, so let's enjoy some peace while it lasts."

"While it lasts." The red-masked female scoffed. "I've had enough freaking peace to send me into a coma."

Tim covered his mouth to contain laughter.

"We'll all be unleashed," Nate reminded her. "Be patient, okay, Liv? Coming back to Montreal is an adjustment for everyone."

"Yeah? How long do you think _they'll_ wait to patrol?" Olivia motioned to their fathers leading the pack.

The orange-masked turtle shrugged. "The more impatient they are, the sooner we'll get out too."

"We're already out, technically," Charlotte noted. "I'm ready to just have some fun for now."

"Fun sounds great, but it'd be nice if Mother Nature turned off the sauna," Jayden complained. "Thought the temperature would go down when the sun did."

"You're feeling the humidity, twin," Charlotte corrected.

"Whatever it is." The massive purple-masked turtle waved her off. "I wish we could take the tour in air conditioning."

Olivia sent Jayden a wolfish grin. "Sounds like you're going a little _soft_, Jay. All this time off hasn't been good for you."

"You're free to test out the theory anytime, Liv," Jayden shot back.

"Hold that thought," Nate ordered, immediately slowing down.

After a moment, Tim realized their older counterparts had stopped altogether. They were lingering at the cement lip of the collector which framed the bay on the other side. He spied his father a little further from the others, and Leonardo motioned for the youth to join him.

"Wow," Tim remarked, staring out over the water. "It really didn't take long to get here."

Leo chuckle was strangely bitter. "It some respects, it feels like it took forever."

"True," the seventeen-year-old allowed. "But our new home has been built the right way. It's a lot nicer than trying to camp through the winter."

Even the hint of former laughter was gone from his father's somber expression.

"We could have stayed at Lotus Salvus longer, but I think we were all starting to go crazy."

"This feels better, huh?" Tim offered.

Leo's pensive gaze continued to rest on the water. "Yeah. Almost."

Tim didn't understand what he meant, or the sudden surge in the older turtle's internal zeal. He silently studied his father for a few seconds, marveling at the child-like anticipation which was rising in Leo's spirit.

The strange enthusiasm had become a partial fixture in Leonardo as of late, and didn't seem entirely like a bad thing. Nonetheless, his dad's fluctuating emotions felt extremely out of place within his controlled and concise spirit. The current overwhelming desire for _water _Leo was experiencing perplexed Tim.

"You weren't planning on swimming tonight, were you, dad?"

"Why not? We're designed for it."

"Isn't that kind of impetuous?"

Leo removed his belt in a flash, dropping weapons with less care than Tim expected. "I can be impetuous."

The sudden edge to his tone didn't sit well with Tim either. Without another word, the older turtle jumped off the side of the collector and disappeared under the water. The youth wasn't sure why he hesitated to join him or felt uneasy, but he remained frozen on the concrete.

A burly arm encompassed his shoulder, and Tim turned to regard the older red-masked turtle.

"What's Fearless doing?"

Tim shrugged. "He wanted to swim."

Raphael smirked. "And he didn't invite nobody else? Gonna have to do something about that."

"You don't think it's weird? Our first night back out, throwing caution to the wind?"

"I've known Leo my whole life, Tim. He can have fun with the best of 'em, when the mood strikes him. You coming, or not?"

The explanation made sense, and his Ojisan's calm acceptance made it easier for the young turtle to do so. Tim stepped aside to remove his own belt, weapons and phone, conveniently avoiding the stampede heading toward the bay.

In the end, he was the last to jump in, landing to the right of Michelangelo.

"_There_ you are," the orange-masked turtle proclaimed affectionately. "Family can't bond without the entire family."

Tim's teeth chattered somewhat. "Freezing, bonding, what's the difference?"

Mike winked at him. "There's a trick for that. You know what it is?"

The youth started to shake his head, right before his Ojisan's hand landed on top of it, dunking him under the surface.

The blue-masked turtle emerged with a gasp, sending Michelangelo a glare. "That's just cruel!"

"And how you get used to it!"

"Are _you_ done getting used to it?" Tim threatened.

"Oh, you can try, kid."

Tim saw the larger shadow behind his Ojisan, and withheld a snicker with difficulty. "I don't need to try."

Mike appeared to pout. "It'd be more fun if you did."

Jayden darted for them, and Tim lunged sideways to avoid the tidal wave the purple-masked turtle created. He resurfaced to find Michelangelo coughing up salt water, and stretched out a hand to tap Jayden's waiting palm.

"You _have_ to be used to it now." Tim cackled.

"I'm not playing with either of you anymore," the older turtle grumbled.

"But you sure love starting things," Donatello quipped, popping up to stop his brother from going anywhere.

"They're ganging up on me, Donny. What's a turtle supposed to do?"

"I didn't actually do anything," Tim pointed out.

"He's only mad he didn't think of it first," Don supplied.

* * *

The temperature of the water _did_ eventually even out for the young blue-masked turtle. The longer they stayed in the bay, the more relaxed Tim felt. Playing with the others was fun, but after a while, he couldn't help noticing that Charlotte was floating on her shell a little apart from everyone else.

He slowly headed her direction. "Hey. Whatcha doing?" Tim chose to tread water to her right, until he could determine if she _wanted_ company.

"Nothing. Just looking." Charlotte indicated the constellations which were more visible from the darkness of the bay. "It's not quite home, but this might not be so bad...right?"

"No, it doesn't have to be. I think we'll grow to love Montreal. We had a rough start in the city, but that doesn't make it a bad place. I'm willing to give Canada another shot," the blue-masked turtle finished jokingly.

"I am too," she agreed.

Tim eased into a position floating beside her, but stayed quiet.

"Does it ever still hit you when you don't expect it?" she murmured. "One minute, everything feels normal, and the next, you remember it's not?"

"Probably hits us harder than you," he theorized. "You've had dunamis your whole life. The rest of us are still learning to live with it."

"Dunamis was always there, but not like it is now," Charlotte countered. "This feels heavier. I know you sense it too, especially with..."

_My dad_, Tim finished, knowing she wouldn't. Leonardo had been different in so many ways, both subtle and obvious since returning from Zuhur.

"Yeah, it's more challenging now," he answered stoically. "But with everything that's happened, I don't-"

The word died on his tongue without any warning, along with a tremendous tightness in his chest. His lungs worked to overpower the paralysis, but it was impossible to breathe.

"Tim?" The purple-masked turtle uprighted herself and grabbed his shoulder. "What's wrong? Tim!"

It took several more terrifying moments for the seventeen-year-old to manage an actual breath.

"What happened?" she persisted.

He didn't reply; partially because Tim couldn't, and he also didn't _know_. In the fleeting seconds he took to gulp a little more oxygen, an irrational and overwhelming fear struck him for one certain person.

"My dad," he managed at last. "Where's my dad?"

Charlotte twisted in a circle. "With the others, I'm sure. Tim, you're scaring me! We'd better get out of the water."

"No! Where is my dad?"

He didn't wait around for an answer she wasn't aware of. The blue-masked turtle used both arms and legs to rapidly cut through the bay. He ended up bulling directly into the game of Marco Polo***** several of his other family members were playing.

Jayden bumped into him with a loud laugh. "Dude, now you're it!"

"I'm not it!" he almost shouted. "Everyone help me find my dad!"

"Find him?" Raphael repeated, clueless. "He was right here, Tim. Maybe he got out."

The urge to panic was so strong, the youth had to close his eyes and wait for a silent beat. He couldn't be sure of anything while being overtaken by emotions.

"No," Tim confirmed after another moment. "He didn't get out. Something's wrong. Look for him!"

He was met by startled expressions and clear confusion, but an instant later the rest of them mobilized. Tim heard the commotion picking up around him, but couldn't distinguish what anyone was saying. The persistent sensation of struggling to breathe was so strong, the youth dove underwater.

Opening his eyes revealed nothing in the dark, murky space. In a flash, he surfaced with a bellow.

"Ojisan!" he yelled toward Donatello. "Did you bring flashlights?"

"I have LED sticks – at least half a dozen!"

"Get them, quick! I can't see anything down here!"

He was relieved when Don headed for the tunnel without asking any questions.

Nate appeared on his left. "Tim, what are you getting?"

"He's drowning."

The older red-masked turtle shook his head across from them. "That don't make no sense!"

"I don't _care _if it makes sense: he is!" Tim heard the splash of the purple-masked turtle returning, and turned to meet him.

"Pair up!" Donny ordered. "Nobody separate! There aren't enough lights for everyone. Now spread out!"

When Tim snagged an LED from the older turtle's hand, he felt another arm engulf his shoulder. He glanced back at Jayden with a grim look.

"I'm with you, dude," Jay assured him. "Let's go!"

Even as he dove back underwater, Tim understood how crazy his theory sounded. The turtles could hold their breath for several minutes if necessary, so drowning didn't seem plausible.

Nevertheless fear and anxiety continued building in the background, and made it impossible to question what he knew was true. Somewhere out there, his father was dying.

Keeping accurate track of time was hopeless. The very haste of their mission made every passing minute feel more like an hour. Occasionally he caught a glimpse of someone else's colored LED in the depths, but not the figure he desperately wanted to find.

_He's out here. He has to be! What could have possibly happened to him?_

Anger and impatience made Tim lose what little air he'd contained, and he maddeningly had to surface.

Jayden emerged at once behind him. "Are you sure about this?" his teammate asked.

"Yes! Don't ask me again. He's here!"

The bigger turtle winced. "I'm sorry. I believe you. I just don't get what's going on."

"Neither do I, but I'm gonna keep looking."

He didn't wait for the purple-masked turtle's agreement before diving again. Tim was set to swim for all he was worth, but a twinge in his gut had him suddenly backtracking for the surface.

Jayden followed him. "What is it? Did you see something?"

"No. I felt..." Tim squinted toward the sight of an LED waving in the distance, at a point nearly a dozen yards to their right.

The scream which accompanied the motion identified Olivia for him and sent the youth into overdrive, stroking rapidly to close the gap between them. The two red-masked turtles weren't waiting on him; they appeared to be making for the tunnel. Not until he got closer did Tim see Raphael swimming backward, hauling his father behind him.

Getting in the way was the last thing Tim wanted to do, but he still made a beeline for them.

"Tim, get to shore!" his Ojisan barked. "I've got him!"

The young turtle didn't immediately obey. Fingers grasped experimentally for his father's chest, and then he twisted his head to get closer to Leo's face. "He's not breathing!"

"I _know!_" All of Raph's frustration exploded with the word.

"Ojisan, let Jayden have him!"

The older turtle eyed both youth, before begrudgingly allowing Jay to swap grips with him. "Ya better go fast!"

Jayden had no smart replies. In half a second the purple-masked turtle took off, longer, powerful limbs shooting him away from the other three. Tim didn't mind not being able to keep pace, but still strove to catch up.

Their small group grew as family members realized the search was over, and everyone headed for the collector. By the time the concrete lip was in sight, Tim could see Donatello dragging the blue-masked turtle out of Jayden's protective grasp.

Tim lowered his head for one more mad dash through the water. He closed the remaining distance with an effort that left him panting so hard, he couldn't climb out at once.

Raphael yanked his way up on the side, then scooped the youth out of the water too. The seventeen-year-old allowed himself no opportunity to recover, but clambered straight for where his father was lifelessly sprawled. The red-masked turtle's arms wound around his shell, holding him back from joining them.

Tim started to protest, right before Charlotte bent over his father to deliver the two rescue breaths Donatello called for. Tim drew up on his knees, shuddering while trapped under Raphael's embrace. Wide, dark eyes stared on while Don began compressions, counting off six sets of five, and then telling Charlotte to breathe for him again.

Tim refused to count along with the following sets, or try to calculate how long his father had been without air. Raph's unrelenting grip was getting uncomfortable, but he didn't attempt to squirm out of it. His whole body felt too heavy to support itself now.

"C'mon, dad." The words escaped as a whisper, and then grew louder as he expended them with greater force. "COME ON!"

"Somebody call the docs!" Donny requested while Charlotte applied the next breaths. "Now! We need to get a car out here!"

The blue-masked youth heard movement in the background, but didn't bother checking who it was. He was yet trapped in a frozen state, inwardly demanding for his father to live. "Wake up! Just _wake up!_" The command felt useless, but Tim couldn't hold it in.

Donatello was murmuring something to himself which Tim couldn't quite hear while he tirelessly pumped his chest that time, and then checked for a pulse.

"Hang on, Charlotte!" he urged his daughter. "Wait! Turn him!"

Together they rolled the blue-masked turtle on his side, in the same instant as sea water violently expelled Leo's lungs. His coughing was the sound which enabled Tim to collapse on the concrete and finally cry from sheer relief.

* * *

Leonardo was already sick of being on oxygen, but even more tired of the extended pow wow the medical team was having without him. Soft fingers brushing his cheek were a momentary distraction, but Calley couldn't banish his annoyance with the situation.

"Would you please ask someone to come talk to me?" He was also annoyed by the inability to raise his voice loud enough to be heard outside of their current corner. _I suppose almost drowning can do that to a person. I wish I could explain it, or blacking out again..._

"Leo, you don't need to demand answers right now," she told him. "Rest is the best thing for you."

"Calley, I don't have the energy to demand anything. Will you get Doc?"

The blond woman gazed at him silently, before crossing the room to interrupt the discussion in the circle. In the space of a few seconds the group partially broke up, and the man in question was returning with his wife.

"Hey, Leo." Luke's voice felt intentionally low. "How are you feeling?"

The turtle didn't want to answer honestly. "Doesn't matter," he replied instead. "I don't like being on the outside. I want to know what's going on, and why you scanned my brain activity again."

Leo threw a glance to the set of electrodes which were still lying nearby, where they'd been left after being removed a few minutes prior.

"I'm going to check on Tim," Calley volunteered, excusing herself from the room.

A strange suspicion formed in the turtle's mind at once. "She didn't have to go." The accusatory tone in his voice startled even Leonardo, but there was no preventing it.

"I didn't tell Calley to leave." Luke remained unruffled, grabbing a chair to wheel over to him. "Leo, this is the fifth unexplained blackout you've experienced in the eleven months since you returned from Zuhur. Tonight's almost killed you. That's why we're taking your brain activity seriously."

"But what were you discussing over there?" He pushed for more volume, but couldn't attain it. "I feel like you're hiding things from me."

"We've never done that to any of you," Luke protested.

Leonardo's rational side agreed with the man. The doctor was one of their longest standing and most dependable allies. Luke had never done anything to harm his family. That was why the lingering doubt in his gut puzzled Leo.

"Tell me something," the turtle urged. "What's wrong? You're obviously concerned, and I think I have a right to take part in this."

"I try not to involve you guys where it comes to theorizing, Leo. When we don't know anything, I can't pass on certainty."

Leo rubbed a throbbing temple and sighed. "I need you to be honest."

For a moment it seemed Luke wouldn't answer, but then he exhaled deeply. "We've gone over the different types of brain waves before-"

"Yeah, I don't need another vocabulary lesson. I want to know what you were talking about."

"We're discussing the same...abnormality we noticed in the beginning, Leo. Right from the first scan we took when you got back."

"You said it wasn't unusual for certain brain waves to travel faster or slower. Why is it abnormal?"

"The current only struck us as odd to start with. It's typical for multiple waves to be active in the brain at once, but only one is dominant. The abnormality we're focusing on was operating at such a low level in the background, it resembled a delta wave. That's the type of activity we would normally measure during your deepest sleep cycle."

"Right - but I was awake."

"Therein lies the point. Ever since then, the same low level wave has been present. It's this constant puzzle which doesn't fit with the rest of your activity. Caleb has been researching heavily on his own, and...we've even considered bringing Shukri into it."

If he was capable of sitting up, Leo would have. "Are you _nuts?_ You want to drag Shukri ten light years through space, for what?"

"No one is talking about dragging him here, Leo. We just want an opinion."

"Why do you think this brain wave matters so much? What does it have to do with passing out?"

"We're trying to find the answer to that. And blacking out isn't your only symptom."

"What else, Doc?"

The man inhaled, then plunged ahead. "You have been behaving in a manner which is...inconsistent."

The turtle's eyes narrowed. "Why don't you say what you actually mean?"

"All right. You're less methodical, and more impulsive. Your eating habits have completely transformed. Isolation has become frequent. I'm also told that your aggression in training has skyrocketed, and you're having difficulty focusing," Luke finished bluntly.

Anger surged, despite the challenge of releasing it. "Is _everyone_ reporting to you behind my back?"

"This family isn't against you, Leo. Our concern is grounded in clear deviations from the norm. We believe the changes you're experiencing as well as inexplicable blackouts could all be attributed to your new brain activity."

"New?" he echoed.

Luke nodded. "It's what we were talking about. The simple abnormality that appeared to be nothing more than a delta wave? It's different this evening."

"Different how?"

"It's running a lot faster. It topped out the parameters of our equipment at 200 hz. Leo, the speed is unprecedented. The frequency doesn't exist in any research we've gotten our hands on. Caleb has a theory that this abnormality doesn't fall into the same type as a normal brain wave. We all think the activity could be linked back to what the Vagari did with their stupid fusion."

Leonardo's blood ran cold at the mention of the alien implant which had wrecked temporary havoc on his nervous system. He had to swallow and take a couple deep breaths to steady his nerves.

"They got it out. The nanomite was destroyed, Doc."

"It doesn't mean nothing was altered," Luke said quietly. "Leo. This entire clan is on your side. _Please _believe that."

Leo mustered the most normal expression he could manage behind the oxygen mask. "I do. But you can't leave me in the corner anymore. I need to know this stuff."

Luke's hand found his wrist reassuringly. "We're going to figure it out, okay? Now I want you to rest."

The turtle nodded in vague agreement, but his eyes connected with Donatello when he noticed his brother heading for the door. "Don."

The purple-masked turtle tracked back toward him. "Hi, Leo. Are you feeling any better?"

"Kind of. I'm really confused about what happened."

Donny nodded. "We're not ignoring this, bro. We just need a chance to learn what we're up against. Go easy on our docs in the meantime, all right? We're only trying to help you."

"I get it," he allowed tiredly, then lifted his eyes to meet Donatello once more. "Thanks, Don."

"Don't thank me. Your kid is the one who figured it out. Took over twenty minutes to locate you underwater. If Tim hadn't kicked us into gear when he did...it might have been too late."

Leo turned his head to Luke. "Can I see him?"

The man rose. "Yes. Tim will probably sleep better once he talks to you anyway. Hang on a minute."

The doctor and Don left the room together, followed shortly by Marcus, Caleb and Julie. Leonardo was left to wait quietly on his own for someone to return, and secretly abhorred the awkwardness which tried to descend on his mind for the 300th time.

_Why does it feel like I don't belong here? It's my _family_. They're all I've ever had to depend on. Could everything I'm experiencing really be because of some random brain wave that decided to appear? It sounds like science fiction, but after you've been to another planet multiple times, these things are easier to believe._

The door squealed, and Leo tried to sit up again. When he couldn't coordinate strength with muscles, he at least removed the oxygen mask. A moment later, the seventeen-year-old shuffled hesitantly into the room, and paused by the door.

"C'mere," the older turtle called, attempting to project his voice. "Tim, what's wrong? I thought you'd be happier you saved me."

"No, I am, I mean...I didn't have much to do with the saving," the teen told him.

"Yeah, you did. No one else knew anything was wrong. Why won't you come over here?"

It took a couple more seconds for Tim to move his direction.

"What's the matter?" Leo pressed. "I'm gonna be okay. You don't have to be nervous."

"I don't know what's wrong. I can't explain..."

"Can't explain what, Tim?"

"You just...Sometimes, I feel like you're not...you. As if you aren't even comfortable with us. And I tell myself that's stupid, but I keep picking up these impressions without trying to. I don't want to analyze you, yet at the same time...I don't get this, dad."

"I'm not _that_ different." Leonardo was instantly defensive.

"Something _is_. I can't put my finger on it, but something definitely is."

"Well, Doc mentioned weird brain activity again. I'm sure the rest of you have already heard about this. Hopefully they'll get to the bottom of what's going on, and turn me back to normal for everyone."

"Dad." Tim grasped his elbow. "We're not ganging up on you."

"Yeah, I know. But it still feels..." He couldn't complete the thought, but it didn't deter his son.

"Alone. You feel like you're alone, but we're all here, dad. No one's going to abandon you."

"I'm not alone," Leo said out loud, to ground his mind in reality. "I'm not. I'm sorry for being this way."

"You don't need to be sorry, dad. Just don't give up. And let mom love you, okay?"

"I do," he answered stiffly.

"We all love you," Tim reiterated.

Leo was going to respond, but the next breath didn't come easily. He fumbled to reach the mask, only for the youth to catch the mouth-piece and draw it back in place.

"You should leave it on, dad. You need to get some sleep too. Will you let me help?"

"You can't absorb everything, musuko," he said hoarsely.

"No, but I can make this more painless. Close you eyes and relax."

Leonardo wanted to argue, but didn't possess the energy. With the aid of increased oxygen and his overly perceptive son's prodding, the dark curtain was quicker to close again.

* * *

**(*I don't own Marco Polo)**

**And that's all you're getting for now. You'll find out what's going on eventually, if you stick with me. Thanks for reading.**


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